Kochi HIL Plant robbery: Industrial motors and transformers stolen from government property

KOCHI: A massive robbery at the water treatment plant of the central public sector undertaking, HIL (Hindustan Insecticides Limited), near Eloor Puthalamkadavu, has snowballed into a major controversy following revelations that the theft occurred over a year ago but was kept hidden from the public eye.

The incident came to light on the 27th of this month when a contractor arrived at the site to clear out old machinery. Valuables worth lakhs of rupees are reported missing from the facility. Responding to the allegations, HIL’s General Manager-in-Charge, Santhosh, downplayed the incident, stating that the robbery took place a year ago, a police complaint had been filed at the time, and the matter was now a thing of the past.

However, the timing and handling of the situation have raised serious questions. The water treatment plant, located on land owned by FACT about four kilometers away from the main HIL facility, is currently being dismantled following the company's closure in 2024.

HIL management under fire for security gaps and delayed police response

Despite the official shutdown of operations, five officials from key departments still report for duty. This has prompted sharp criticism from various quarters as to why the management chose to completely withdraw security guards from the pump house, despite being fully aware that it housed highly valuable machinery.

The management’s decision to keep the year-old theft under wraps has also come under intense scrutiny. Adding to the friction, local sources report that the company only filed a formal phone complaint with the police just the other day, hastily reacting after local media outlets began exposing the story.

Stolen inventory: 11KV transformers, heavy motors, and colony assets plundered

Evidence suggests that the thieves did not pull off a quick heist; instead, they allegedly camped inside the unguarded facility for days to systematically dismantle and transport the heavy equipment. The contractor had arrived to clear the site after FACT demanded the return of its land a year ago, which inadvertently exposed the empty plant. While private security personnel are still deployed inside the main HIL factory complex and the residential colony, the vital pump house was left entirely unprotected.

According to the official inventory list provided by the company, the losses are extensive:

• Heavy Industrial Machinery: Out of six high-capacity 40.5 HP motors, only two remain on the premises.
• Electrical Infrastructure Theft: An entire 11 KV transformer was stripped down, leaving behind nothing but its hollow outer casing. Heavy-duty power cables were also cut and carted away.
• HIL Colony Quarters Ransacked: The plunder extended beyond the plant itself. Thieves had occupied vacant staff quarters in the HIL colony, stripping them of basic fixtures including ceiling fans, lights, washbasins, doors, and windows.

The only assets spared were the valuable equipment from the company club, which the management had fortunately relocated to the secure main factory premises before the looters struck. Local authorities are facing mounting pressure to investigate both the theft and the potential negligence of the plant's remaining management.